Fellas,

I'm going to start working on a matching pair of good walnut stocks for a pair of good sporters (Winchester 70 and Kimber 82) and I'm feeling ambitious enough to try and put an ebony tip on the stocks with a widow's peak.

I've got a good idea of what should be necessary to get the widow's peak fitted just right, but I could use some help. I'm having a hard time visualizing how to get the sharp convex angles cut into the stock to fit the ebony peak. Is anyone willing to divulge a little advice?

Thanks.

Search these forums for "scholarship" for a peek at how Master Wiebe does it. Scroll to about page 22 for the pics.

Have a look here Evan and welcome to the forum.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...9411043/m/3381094031

Von Gruff.

Sorry, don't have a photo, Classic Checkering has milling cutters specially-made to accomplish the small cuts for the smaller peaks. Tim Smith-Lyon likes this design but was having trouble with tiny gaps, so he bit the bullet and bought the tooling for the curves. His peak is fairly small, IMO MUCH more elegant than the larger ones or the plain vee-shaped ones.

Tim's a nice guy, he'll be happy to talk about it if you'll call him. Does some darn good checkering at fair prices too. classiccheckering.com.
Regards, Joe

+1 on Tim Smith-Lyon...he is a nice fellow and more than competant..after I hurt my hand, he's checkered or at least completed the checkering on a couple of rifles for me.

I can not find the thread, but PM Jim Kobe. He once did a pictorial expose' on how he does them, even including the router bits for both forend pieces.

Why don't you try something different.....like this:


If you want help with the widow's peak PM me and I can do the male part for you,......NC....just send return postage

quote:

Originally posted by larrys:
I can not find the thread, but PM Jim Kobe. He once did a pictorial expose' on how he does them, even including the router bits for both forend pieces.

Huh... He happens to be in my vicinity. I suppose Jim would be worth a call...

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
Why don't you try something different.....like this:


If you want help with the widow's peak PM me and I can do the male part for you,......NC....just send return postage

I sincerely appreciate the offer but I'm too stubborn to let someone else do the work . I've got a good idea for doing that shaping too. Cutting the female end right has me stumped.

That fore-end tip is very pretty but I'd prefer something more traditional. I figure a widow's peak in the tip would be a perfect little touch of workmanship.

It's just me, but I can't stand the look of widow's peaks. Widow's peaks and Fleur di lis make me want to puke. Sorry Vapodog, I'm sure its an otherwise nice rifle. What fun would the world be without differences of opinion?

quote:

Sorry Vapodog, I'm sure its an otherwise nice rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:
It's just me, but I can't stand the look of widow's peaks. Widow's peaks and Fleur di lis make me want to puke.

And I thought I was the only one.

Forrest, do you like checkered bolt knobs?

quote:

do you like checkered bolt knobs?

may I comment.....

I like the artistry of gunsmithing.....if it's well done then I can like it for the quality of the work.

This doesn't necessarily mean I like the style but certainly appreciate the quality work (art)

Most of the checkered bolt knobs I see posted here are very well done and I can appreciate that....however I really don't want a checkered bolt knob as I've never had a bolt improved by checkering. It's something to irritate sore hands if your hands are sore from whatever you might have been doing.

Same for stock style. I see some very well done Fajen Aristocrats posted here.....extremely well done and can always appreciate that.....but the classic style trips my trigger and the old Weatherby style pistol grip is still my favorite.....so that's what I build.....

I like any well done checkering pattern regardless of the pattern....if ya like fleurs.....get em....if ya like point patterns....get em....

I would hope we can all (mostly) agree on the quality of the art.....

i'm with you vapodog, i can appreciate the workmanship even if i do not like the style with guns, cars and motorcycles.

there are some good photos showing the tooling used in Tom Turpin's book on the David Miller Company.

I could bring the book over for you to look at while I look at your stocks (if you are in the Twin Cities)

On another note, I think custom guns (especially custom stocks) have evolved to much based upon looks and not enough based on real fit. If you take a look at a person, it is obvious that the eyes are way way above the shoulder and you need something to rest your head on to be comfortable. Leonard Brownell used to build stocks based on this belief.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
Forrest, do you like checkered bolt knobs?

I like engraved bolt handles, checkered bolt handles and smooth bolt handles just the same...as long as the work is well executed. The last few rifles I've built have smooth handles but that's just a phase I'm going through.

I agree completely with what Vapo is saying, well executed work is to be appreciated whether you favor the style or not.

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
I think custom guns (especially custom stocks) have evolved to much based upon looks and not enough based on real fit. If you take a look at a person, it is obvious that the eyes are way way above the shoulder and you need something to rest your head on to be comfortable.

Yep IMO also, the fashion police have become the dominant voice in the custom rifle world today.

Fact: a straight stock CANNOT provide enough cheek support for the average scope user; full stop, period, end of discussion.

Fact: scope and iron sight lines-of-sight are always too far apart for comfortable use with the same stock unless the irons are at least 1/2" higher than the norm or even higher. The fashion police will not permit this....

I gotta admit that I too have fallen into the fashion-police-straight-comb-stock trap with a good proportion of my own stocks. Many of my bolt rifles have Monte Carlos while many of my single shots have straight-comb stocks, go figure.
Regards, Joe

quote:

Tom Turpin's book on the David Miller Company.

I could bring the book over for you to look at while I look at your stocks (if you are in the Twin Cities) Big Grin

You can't.....you gave it to me....remember?

As to style.....I have as much enjoyment looking at "truck guns" posted here as some of the real masters works.....some of these so-called "beaters" show creativity and a type of art....

or in other words.....Rembrandts by the masters (you know their names) are a delight to look at and I often get ideas to improve the standards of my own work by viewing them, but when I view some of the truck guns posted here you can see the pride in them as well....gotta like that!

ForrestB has a different style of truck gun....his are done by Michelangelo!

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Tom Turpin's book on the David Miller Company.

I could bring the book over for you to look at while I look at your stocks (if you are in the Twin Cities) Big Grin

You can't.....you gave it to me....remember?

Vapodog

Yes, I gave it to you. And then I kicked myself in the ass for doing so. Not because I felt bad giving it to you. Rather, because I couldn't live without it! I eventually broke down and bought another one. It really is a great book, even if you don't like David Miller. I think Mr. Turpin should update a few things, clarify a few things, redo it in paperback so as to make it half the price, and put it out on the book racks or sell it here. Everybody who likes custom guns would like that book.